we have 2 three yr old boys who loved magic kingdom and mgm, but we found both islands of adventure and reg. universal studios giant bores! at disney, the characters strolled around, took as many photos with you as you wanted, things were very organized and well done. at universal, the characters show up briefly, you can try to quickly snap a photo before the crew pushes you out of the way for the next person. there are no decent rides for kids under 6 yrs old, meals are so overpriced- it cost us $40 for an awful counter service lunch at circus mcgercus in seussland. we were done with both parks within 2 hrs of arrival. LAME- money is better spent at disney!

If your aim is to entertain your 4 year old, then don't bother with IOA - they will love Magic Kingdom and the rides are more tailored for their age group.

If you can't be bothered to do your homework and check out the suitability of attractions before you go then frankly it's tough luck if you end up in a park that little Johnny/Jessica doesn't enjoy.

Thr thrill rides are excellent and the crowds are almost non-existent during the off-peak season (again, check out the best times to visit - there is no excuse as the info is freely available).

We visited all the major attractions. The Disney parks, Kennedy Space Centre and Universal Studios. Islands of Adventure was by far the best. We even went back for a second day to re-do our favourite rides. Visiting in October the queues for rides werent any longer than 30 mins but the 'Express Pass' machines were not in use as it was not peak time. If they had been we wouldn't have had any queues. The atmosphere is fantastic. Music is blasting from giant speakers. The super heros, Spiderman, X-men etc all come charging down the roads on quad bikes. The rides are fantastic and there is lots to choose from even if you aren't into big thrills. We went with our 2 teenage boys and it was perfect for that age group. There really isnt that much for the younger kids but I would recommend Islands of Adventure to anyone over 10 years old.

While reluctant to visit theme parks in the past, I would definately return to UIoA. Even if you don't enjoy rides, it is a feast for the eyes. It is well maintained, and the mechanics, electrical, etc... are very nicely camouflaged. I rode nearly every ride, and many twice. The staff made an effort to help people get in and out, so that the lines moved rather quickly. Our longest line was for Spiderman (a 3-D ride), and it was just 45 minutes. A Blutto Ride (the Popeye character) was next at almost 40 minutes. Everything else had a MUCH shorter wait time. The food is costly, but it is at all theme parks. We went in mid August '05, maybe it is never as crowded at that time. Both my 19 and 12 year old children had a fantastic time. It was their choice to forego Disney and take in Sea World and Islands of Adventure. They were thrilled at their choice and their father and I were too. Even at their age they found the Dr. Seuss area very funny, they wanted their photos made with Thing 1 and Cat in the Hat, can you believe that?